Pastries with Teeth @ Sail Inn

Most EDM producers cut their teeth in the club, gauging crowd reaction to discern the heaters from the vibe-killing missteps. The recently formed Phoenix-based electronic duo Pastries with Teeth has honed their craft on a decidedly different dance floor. Andrew "Hoodwink" Hood was approached by the Phoenix Contemporary Dance Company to compose original music for the October 2012 performance of En Fin, a modern ballet set to electronic music. He employed local DJ and classically trained violinist Sam Dorko to add crucial strings to the composition, teaming up for two sold-out performances at the Herberger Theater. Released in December, the full-length Eaten Alive album combines three tracks created for En Fin and a number of other regal yet sultry electro tracks. While the record hints at formal dance concertos with moments of staccato string stabs and lush trills, the overriding bass grooves and glitch textures repel any notions of classical pomposity. Most notably, the crunchy snare claps and dirty hi-hats of "Bear Claw" are augmented by ominous string plucks until big washes of distorted synth offer a contemporary cleanse. The lengthy, dynamic "Prelusion" explores a more subtle space, slow-building the tension into a galactic guitar-led micro-odyssey. Pastries with Teeth combines the organic with the electronic better than Inspector Gadget.